41 Easy Ways to Upgrade Your Rental

Because of the glaring fact that you will eventually vacate a rental apartment or house, and sometimes sooner than expected, it can be difficult to justify spending a great deal on the decor. But that doesn't mean you can't make it your own and get creative while you're at it. When you do spend money, think long term: "When I've tweaked my rental homes," says Common Bond designer Alex Kalita, "I've aimed to minimize labor cost (you can't take that with you!) and spend instead on materials that can be repurposed in a future home." Beyond that, check your lease to understand what really shouldn’t be tampered with (some landlords don't like the idea of a tenant rewiring things, for example) and then pick a few you like from the following list!

1. Hang bamboo blinds

Let us count the ways we love bamboo blinds: They're cheap ($30!), they soften sunlight without blocking it out, and they basically make any room feel like a sun porch at the beach. Oh, and you can get them on Amazon Prime and then screw them in in about five minutes.

2. Swap out cabinet knobs

Unscrew existing pulls on cabinets and drawers and store them in a safe place (a shelf in the closet marked 'Reinstall Me at Move-Out!'), then DIY your own or scout some in the clearance bin at Anthropologie. "Anything that screws off can be screwed back on when you move and won't do permanent damage," Kalita notes.

4. Get a new shower head

You know, so it’s actually pleasant to take a shower in your shower? Wait for that 30% off Bed Bath and Beyond coupon or find a good rainfall option on Amazon Prime

5. Just add plants

Before you run out and grab the first English Ivy you see, consider that there are tons of plants—some even shade-loving varieties!—that will grow happily indoors. (Note: Many big-box hardware stores will issue a warranty on them, so if they don't last the year you can bring them back!)

6. And find a decent planter

Yes, terra cotta is actually pretty good-looking, but there are so many chic, inexpensive planters out there that will be more impactful (and of course, they can move with you to future apartments).

7. Paint the walls

No matter what! "Typically landlords use a very basic white paint," says designer Casey Kenyon, who advocates for a hue that’s more deliberate: "Choose a white that feels right for you and your space." Paint a few samples (several coats of each) directly on the wall before choosing one. "It always looks different on the wall than in the store!"

Bamboo blinds, like these in designer Casey Kenyon's brooklyn apartment, are inexpensive and quick-to-obtain (moving day activity!).

Photo: Roland Bello

8. Tile a (removable) backsplash

Let us guess: Your “backsplash” is actually just the same wall color and texture that’s the rest of the apartment? Stick-on subway tile decals will change that real quick.

9. Washi tape a design on the wall

Rather than splurging on a whole room's worth of temporary wallpaper, which can run into the hundred of dollars (and won't come with you!), use washi tape to create a graphic design (tiny x's allover, wide stripes, or a single line going all the way around the room like a belt at wainscoting-height).

10. Swap your switch plates

If you're painting the walls (and you are, right?) pick up spare outlet covers for that room and paint them too. Or find inexpensive black or brass ones and spare yourself the trouble. The originals can be stored until the lease is up.

11. Hang art without framing it

Clips, tacks, and washi tape are your friend—yes, the kind you can source at any art store, or these 14 design-friendly alternatives (don't worry, just one pack of them will be way more cost-effective than professional framing.

14. Cover some walls (or a ceiling!) in fabric

If your walls are those bumpy popcorn finish—or if you just want to impart a much more dramatic feel to the space—do as designer Nick Olsen did in his New York City apartment: Tack up a piece of fabric by stapling it to the edges of the wall, then simply pull it off when you're done with the space.

15. Put up a kitchen peg-board

Whether it’s proper pegboard (which has pre-cut holes for looping hooks into and securing with nails) or just chicken wire arranged with little hooks, a good peg board will help you organize your desk supplies, kitchen tools, and even toiletries vertically. No floor space needed!

16. Switch out doorknobs

If your polished nickel doorknobs have really got you down, go find a porcelain or brass one that feels a little more 'authentic' in your hand and install it.

17. Disguise your ugly fridge

Now this, rather than walls, is a great use for temporary wallpaper because you'll only need one roll. (glossy black contact paper is a great alternative if you want to go even more affordable.) Say goodbye to the stained white surface for good.

18. Hang a pendant bulb in a dark corner

With a good hook and a long cord, there's not even any hardwiring required. (Though we do encourage you to get creative with the cord configurations.

19. Add a picture rail

The simple molding used to make a picture rail shouldn’t run you more than a few dollars a foot—and then you’ll be able to hang art all over the apartment without putting nail holes everywhere.

The owners of this cool and collected two-bedroom in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park—a young couple—wanted to make the most of the kitchen’s linear layout, so they chose to add built-in seating and hung a pendant light in a graphic display above the table.

Photo: Courtesy of Space Exploration Design

20. Contact-paper over your granny cabinets

Sure, you could remove those terrible 'rustic' doors and sand them for the open shelf look—but your landlord won't like that. Contact paper saves the day again (we like solid, matte colors for a clean look on these).

22. Use a series of small rugs for hallways

Rather than splurging on a runner that perfectly fits your uniquely-shaped hallway (and might not work in the next), try thrifting a handful of small rugs to lay one after another in a row.

23. Swap out bad lighting fixtures

"I think changing out bad rental light fixtures for something that is more reflective of your personality is so important," Kenyon says. Simply unscrew (or have an electrician unscrew!) the existing fixtures and replace with some you like better: Shop thrift stores, big box chains, and sites like Chairish for deals on cute ones, even wall sconces that aren’t hard wired. (Cords can be chic.)

24. Decorate with nature

A bouquet of dried grasses, a well-worn piece of driftwood, sculptural stones from the back yard—heck, even a random branch you found on the way home and spray-painted copper. Instant sculptures for tabletops, shelves, and walls.

25. Install LED strip lights in the kitchen

You know, the kitchen where you can hardly anything? A super-long strip of stick-on LED lights can be found for about $20, and affixed right underneath the cabinets it kind of changes everything.

26. Get a new toilet seat

Roam the aisles of Bed Bath and Beyond for long enough and you'll find a nice one—whether it's just a brand new white one or something slightly fancier, like wood.

27. Add a sisal area rug

Some leases will require that you cover a large percentage of the floor with rugs, meaning you’ll need some big ones. Sisal and jute rugs can be acquired for a few hundred dollars in large sizes, whether you look to your hardware store or a source like Rugs.com for options. (We also like inexpensive round jute rugs, as accents.)

28. Upgrade your extension cords

A myth: The best extension cords are white or brown in an attempt to be invisible. The truth: You're going to see them no matter what, so they might as well be cute.

29. Make throw pillows

What’s that, you don’t know how to sew? Try taking a few scraps of fabric and a pillow insert to your tailor. Boom, custom pillows.

30. Paint the ceiling

It might sound daunting, but painting your ceiling will have a major impact on the feel of a room. A tried-and-true method: Mix a few drops of the wall color in a bucket of white paint, and use that. (Or use dark blue to make it feel like the night sky.)

31. Mount your bike on the wall

Not only does it address the fact that you're probably trying to figure out how to cover the walls, mounting your bike on the wall is also a major space-saver. Bolt a length of pipe to the wall and loop it over that, or find a simple c-hook with a rubber cover.

32. Paint just your molding and trim

If your walls are already a color you like, or you want to take the look a step further, consider painting just the molding around doors and ceiling-to-wall transitions, either a glossy version of the eggshell color on the walls, or something more vibrant.

33. Layer the light

By positioning your lamps at various heights (some on the floor, some on desks, some on shelves, in various bulb strengths (dimmable, if possible), apartment will have a welcoming glow rather than a hash feel.

34. Turn your radiators into shelves

...By having a 2-by-6 cut to fit the length, painting it to match the walls, and then setting it right on top. Shelf!

35. Add baseboards

If you're 'blessed' with a white-box apartment, void of character, consider adding base boards to the feet of the walls to give them a clear, sturdy-looking end-stop. (Paint them, too!)

35. Find some cute under-bed storage bins

The temptation will be to just go get those plastic tubs and be done with it (then also: never pull them out ever because you hate them). Sourcing some some slightly more attractive ones will help you keep the room tidier.

36. DIY Some Art

The possibilities for doing this, without actually using any artistic talent, are endless: Have a fuzzy photograph blown up to a huge scale at the copy center. Splatter paint, Pollock-style, on a canvas. Frame book pages and magazine tears. Marble paper!

37. Strip the paint off metal radiators and doors

Years and years of paint starts to look weird and plastic-y on radiators, but you can actually strip it away using chemical stripper and a steel paint scraper—and a couple hours. But look how worth it your project will be!

38. Float shelves—and paint them the color of the walls

Simple, rectangular floating shelves can be sourced very inexpensively from places like IKEA and Amazon; by simply matching them to the wall color they'll look custom-installed.

39. Swap out your vent covers

Unless they're miraculously crafted from the same material as your floors, these could probably stand for an upgrade. Glossy black paint and metallic spray paint will make them next-level.

40. Hang a thrifted plate collection

Peruse any half-decent thrift store and you're sure to find a trove of porcelain plateware. Stick to a color scheme (blue and white? all white?) and pick out a dozen, then hang them in a cloud configuration on the wall as if you inherited them from grandma.

41. Disguise a heinous countertop

Peeling, laminate counter got you down? Marble contact paper is a readymade fix for that (can you tell we love contact paper?).

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